Under a Louisiana Sky
by Sam-and-Sherlock-in-the-TARDIS
Summary: Human Au: When Castiel and Dean move to Louisiana, their relationship is tested by the homophobic inhabitants.
1. Chapter 1

It's the sound, and more likely the smell of bacon that finally rouses him at 10:17 a.m. Dean stumbles out of bed, tripping on the comforter as he stops only to pull on a pair of ratty sweats; he doesn't even bother with boxers. He wanders into the kitchen, scratching absently at his chest as a jaw-creaking yawn splits his face in half. Cas turns at the sound, a warm smile on his face. He holds a pair of tongs, turning the bacon as it cooks.

Dean loops his arms around his waist from behind, dropping his pillow-creased face onto Cas' shoulder. "Well, good morning, sleeping beauty."

Dean can practically hear the grin in his voice. Dean mumbles something along the lines of 'shut up' and 'that smells awesome' in retaliation. He laughs at that, and the corners of his blue eyes crinkle in a way that makes Dean tighten his grasp fondly. Cas pulls away to dump the bacon onto a paper towel to drain and Dean gets a look at his attire for the first time.

He wears blue boxers that match his eyes patterned with black wings, a white apron with 'KISS THE COOK' emblazoned across the front complete with red lipstick mark, and a single woollen sock. When Cas turns to grab two plates, Dean catches him by the wrists and pulls him in for a kiss.

After several pleasant minutes, Dean releases him. Cas' eyes look a bit glazed as he happily mutters, "What was that for?"

Dean laughs and gestures towards the apron "Just following orders – he raises his eyebrows – where's your other sock?"

"That is an excellent question." Cas answers, loading two plates with bacon, eggs, and toast.

Dean plops down at the table, accepting the plate that Cas offers him. While Cas bustles around, fixing them both coffee, Dean butters first his own toast, and then Castiel's, spooning jam onto the latter's. Cas hands him a mug of black coffee with four sugars and settles into the wooden chair beside him.

They eat in companionable silence punctuated by the gentle clink of silverware on plates and Dean's rapturous moans of delight regarding the bacon. After not only seconds, but third helpings on his part, Dean pushes back his chair with a contented groan.

"I think… I might… be full now."

Cas laughs as he balances their plates and empty mugs on one hand. Dean joins him at the sink, and together they do the dishes; Cas washes, insisting that Dean doesn't do it right, so Dean is left to dry. One stack of clean dishes and an impromptu soap fight later, Dean steps out onto the back porch. He stands in the sun, head tilted back to receive the vitamin D, eyes shut against the light.

Having discarded the apron, Cas joins him. He snakes his arms around his waist, assuming the same position Dean had used earlier. Hooking his chin over his shoulder, Cas lets out a happy sigh in Dean's ear.

"You wanna go out; get some actual groceries before we unpack the rest of the boxes? We only had breakfast because I picked that up at the gas station yesterday."

Dean contemplates this offer, narrowing his eyes in thought. "Sure. But don't get dressed," he replies, following Cas back into the house.

"Why not?"

"I haven't had sex with you yet," and with that, Dean whisks him into the bedroom with a kiss and a smirk.

* * *

Afterwards, they lie together on their makeshift bed. Having both been too tired to actually put together the bed frame, they slept on a mattress on the floor. Cas lay with his head on Dean's chest, tracing the sunburst tattoo with the tips of his fingers. Dean was just drifting off to sleep, when he bounded up.

"Come on, get dressed. You said we would go shopping." Dean groans and sits up, stretching his muscles. It's with great reluctance that he showers and dresses in the same clothes he wore the day before; a pair of jeans that had seen better days and a grey shirt gone soft with wear.

Once at the grocery store, Dean pushes the cart for Cas, wincing every now and again at the single squeaky wheel. Cas pauses for a few minutes in the bakery section of the store before choosing a half dozen bagels and a loaf of crusty sourdough bread. He appraises different cuts of meat before finally deciding on a cut of steak that has Dean's mouth watering.

One shopping cart full of food and other household necessities, they're waiting in line to check out. Cas has informed him of his excellent dinner plan, consisting of steak and vegetable kabobs, salad, and the sourdough bread.

The people in front of them pay for their groceries and Cas starts unloading the contents of the cart onto the conveyor belt. The cashier, a pretty blonde with a nametag that reads 'Nikki', greets Dean with a smile and a "Find everything ya'll were after?" in a southern drawl.

He nods, smiling in return as he scoots past Cas to grab a pack of cinnamon gum that he loves. She cheerfully rings up their purchases, making small talk with them as she chew a wad of sugary-sweet grape bubblegum.

"That'll be $217.83." Nikki informs Dean, twirling a strand of caramel hair around her finger. He doesn't realize that his jaw has dropped open in shock until Castiel nudges him with a small smile on his face, "Come on, honey. Just pay." He nods and swipes the debit card.

"Oh, are ya'll _together_?" Nikki asks; an odd underlying tone present in her voice.

"Yeah," Cas blushes and smiles in embarrassment while Dean completes the transaction.

"Oh." Nikki's demeanour changes abruptly. She rips off their receipt with unnecessary force and practically throws it at Cas before shoving the paper sacks of groceries at Dean. When her fingers brush Castiel's as he accepts the receipt, she flinches. Cas' shy smiles drops off his face and he grabs Dean by the wrist.

"Have a nice day." He says before leading a fuming Dean out of the store.

Once they're safely in the Impala, groceries nestled in the backseat, Dean turns towards Cas. "Why'd you pull me outta there? I was going to talk to her manager! She's got no right to be homophobic."

"Dean, you would've regretted it later. Besides, she might not have been homophobic. Maybe she just was having a bad day." Cas says lamely, trying to calm him down. He places a soothing hand on Dean's arm as he drives away, knuckles white on the steering wheel.

"Don't kid yourself, Cas." And nothing more is said on the thirty minute drive back to their house.


	2. Chapter 2

Dinner that night is tense, no doubt about it. By the time they're finished eating, Dean is on his third beer. Cas is quiet, and he only picked at his kabobs and salad.

"I made a pie for dessert, if you want it." Cas says quietly, gathering up their plates and taking them into the kitchen. He dumps his leftover food into a Tupperware container and sticks it in the fridge before piling the dishes in the sink.

"Yeah, sure. That'd be great," When Cas reaches down to pick up Dean's empty beer bottle, Dean catches his hand and kisses it gently. Cas smiles sadly at him, eyes soft, and goes back to the kitchen. He reappears a few minutes later, laden down with one amazing looking apple pie and a tub of vanilla ice cream.

Cas cuts him a healthy serving and plops down a few large scoops of the ice cream that melts rapidly in the ever present Louisiana warmth.

"Thanks, baby." Dean says, digging into the dessert. He finishes one piece, groaning all the way, and at Cas' urging, polishes off a second. Cas laughs quietly and finishes off his own. This time, Cas just loads up the dishwasher and tosses in a washing tablet. He joins Dean on the couch that is half hidden by unpacked boxes.

"You wanna watch a movie on my laptop?" Dean asks. With Cas' affirmation, he pops in the disc for Saw 2. He lies down with his head on one end of the couch and pulls Cas down by his side. Wrapping his arm around him, He presses play.

By the time the movie's over, it's dark out. Dean teases Cas mercilessly about hiding his face during most of the movie. Cas' retort is that he was hiding from the bad acting and horrible script, but they both know that it freaked him out.

They get up and lie on the mattress, both of them nude; not because of sex, but because despite the darkness, it's still muggy and hot, and there's something wrong with the A.C. Dean is on his side, back towards Cas. Cas lightly traces nonsensical designs over the hot flesh with cool fingertips.

"What are you writing?" Dean asks, his voice slightly slurred from exhaustion (and probably the beers too.) he props himself up on his elbow so he can peer over his shoulder at him.

Cas blushes, "I was connecting your freckles." He admits with a light chuckle. His eyes soften, and Dean rolls over so they're face to face. Cas trails his fingers over the smooth planes of his face; over the high cheekbones, the strong bridge of his nose; over feathery eyelashes that most girls would kill for, and full lips that quirk up into a little smile.

Dean pulls him in for a soft, sweet kiss and despite the warmth, wraps his arms around him. He falls asleep with Cas slotted into his chest, while Cas plays connect-the-dots on his arms.

* * *

When he wakes up, the first thing he notices is that the air is finally cool. The second is the warm, sold body tucked up against him. He rolls over to find Cas watching him thoughtfully.

"You had good dreams last night," he says, but is sounds more like a question as he gestures towards the smile on Dean's face.

"No, not really. Just happy to see you." He answers, stretching his arms above his head. Cas smiles sleepily, his blue eyes still glazes with sleep as he fought to remain conscious.

"Stay," Dean commands, tucking the sheets over Cas' body, "I'm going to bring you breakfast in bed." Cas protests weakly even as he sinks back down into the fluffy pillows, eyes closing. Dean shuffles around the kitchen, trying to find something suitable for a yummy but easy breakfast.

He finally decides on fried eggs that he puts on bagels with melty cheese and some fruit on the side. Dean digs through a cardboard box labeled 'kitchen' and eventually comes up with a red melamine tray that Cas bought two months earlier. He loads the tray with the food, pours and fixes a cup of coffee; a splash of cream and two sugars.

Dean carefully walks back to the bedroom, treading cautiously so that he doesn't trip and end up giving Cas a bath in eggs and coffee (he's pretty sure Cas wouldn't appreciate that). When he gets to the bedroom, he stops in the doorway for a minute, with a tiny smile playing on his lips. Cas lies curled on his side, face tucked into the pillow, one foot peeking out from under the sheet.

He kneels down and carefully plunks the tray onto the floor. Dean inches up onto the mattress and wakes Cas with a kiss to the nose. Castiel's eyes flutter open and he smiles drowsily as he stretches out his muscles.

"Breakfast time," Dean murmurs while he grabs the tray off the floor and cautiously setting it down at the food of the bed. Cas picks up his bagel sandwich and hungrily sinks his teeth in. They eat in silence, Dean's arm draped around Cas' shoulders. Once they're finished, Castiel wanders off to take a shower, and Dean pulls on some jeans.

They spend the day unpacking boxes and moving furniture countless times until it has the desired effect; neat, but homey and a little eccentric. Dean ends up wrenching his back when he decides to be macho and assemble every bit of furniture that goes in the bedroom, by himself, and feels like an old man by the time he's finished.

Cas ices his back and makes him soak in a very hot bathtub for an hour and half. He makes Dean dinner, which Dean eats in the tub, and they talk for a very long time; Dean soaking, and Cas reclining on the toilet. They end the evening with a tub of ice-cream and two spoons in their bed, listening to the radio play a mixture of static and corny country music


	3. Chapter 3

They settle into a daily routine during their first two weeks in the town of Vinton, Louisiana. Castiel gets up and makes breakfast for the both of them every other day while Dean showers. On the days that Cas doesn't scrounge up breakfast, Dean does. They alternate cooking dinner too, but fend for themselves for lunch.

Sometimes they'll nap in the afternoon, blinds drawn to shut out some light, the constant June heat making them drowsy. Dean looks through the paper every day, circling jobs in red for himself and in blue for Castiel. They make inquiries often, and it seems hopeful that Cas will get a job at the little library that sits on one of the street corners. Dean is looking into mechanic's jobs, but he hasn't had much luck yet.

Still, they have enough money saved up that they can get their groceries and clothes that they need. One day, Castiel drags Dean out shopping to buy jeans that aren't ripped in various ways or covered in motor oil. It's nice and fun and Cas gets a kick out of seeing Dean in skinny jeans. It's right before they go up to pay when it gets bad. Some tall, buff guy glares at them as he admires himself in a bathing suit and then he hisses something about how they better not be looking at his butt.

There's nothing else like that for a while so they start to feel like they're fitting in. Cas ends up getting the library job and works Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from eleven to five. Dean asks around some more and finally finds a job at a mechanic's garage where he doesn't have any set hours, so much as the owner, a gruff man named Bobby Singer, calls him when he's needed.

It's two o'clock on a Saturday when Sam and Jess pull up the house in their charcoal grey Toyota Prius. Cas and Dean have now been living in Louisiana for three months. Cas jumps up from his spot on the porch swing, setting aside his heavy book. The back door of the car opens and two small children tumble out. Sam unfolds his long, well, everything, and climbs out of the car, hurrying over to the right side of the Prius.

Cas tramps down the creaky wooden steps and kneels down just in time to catch both of the kids in his arms. He watches as Sam opens the passenger door and helps a very pregnant Jessica out. She huffs loudly and blows a lock of curly blonde hair off of her forehead.

"Cas!" Sam says affectionately, pulling him into a warm embrace. Castiel smiles and hugs him back, a child clinging to each leg.

"Alice! Johnny! Let go of poor Cas. Go inside and bug your Uncle Dean; surely he's done something bad enough to require assault by children." Jess barks, waddling, for lack of a better word, towards Castiel. They hug briefly, but warmly, before Cas leads them into the blissfully air-conditioned house.

"_Help me_!" Dean mouths as Alice and Johnny pounce on him enthusiastically, knocking him out of his chair and onto the hard wooden floor. He lets out a mock grunt of pain, but Cas catches a glimpse of his smile before the top half of his body is covered by the two children. Sam laughs at the sight of his big brother's face being viciously covered in kisses by Alice while Johnny bounces up and down on his abdomen.

After a few minutes of this, Dean sits up and gently pushes the children off of him. He stands quickly before they can pounce again. "Jess, your kids are crazy. Better hope number three takes after me." He says in a serious tone before pulling his sister-in-law in for a hug.

Jess just laughs and grabs Dean's hand in both of hers. He starts to protest but she just shushes him and places it on her belly. "I didn't see you until after I had the twins. I figured you might like to feel the baby." She says with a sweet smile. Dean's eyes go soft with amazement as he feels the tiny kick against the flat of his palm.

Cas watches him with a wistful look that doesn't go unnoticed by Sam. "Go on," he nudges Cas, "you can feel too." He steps forward and Dean moves his hand so that he has room. Castiel gently places his hand in the very middle of Jessica's stomach and waits for the little nudge. When it comes, his free hand flies up to cover his mouth and he lets out a small, muffled laugh. Jess smiles at him gently and pats his hand where it rests on her stomach.

"Ca-a-a-a-s!" Alice whines, tugging on the edge of his shirt as she tries to divert his attention to her. Johnny stands beside her, tiny hands balled up into fists on his hips. He laughs and scoops Alice up, propping her on his hip.

"How old are you now?" He asks as he strokes the cloud of brown curls atop her heart shaped face. Alice holds up four tiny fingers and Johnny nods his head in confirmation.

"Oh, wow! You'll be in high school before you know it." Cas tells her conspiratorially. She giggles in his ear and plants a kiss on his cheek with a shy smile.

For the rest of the day they all relax in the cool, air-conditioned house, except for Dean who takes Johnny and Alice outside and blows up the tiny inflatable kiddie pool for them. Around four, Jess retires to the guest bedroom where she and Sam are staying, to take a nap. Sam and Cas sit on the couch in the living room, watching Dean and the kids through the window, each cradling an ice cold beer.

"So, Cas," Sam turns towards Cas before taking a sip of beer, "how're you guys settling in? You like it so far?"

Cas tips back his head to drain the last of his beer before answering, "Yeah. It's nice here, even though it's a bit hot."

Sam laughs at that and turns back towards the window. Outside, Dean has been shoved into the pool, clothes and all, and Johnny has a scuba mask on backwards. They watch as Alice tentatively dunks her toe in the water, and supposedly finding it warm enough to her linking, plops in beside a soaking wet Dean. She chatters noiselessly at him, gesticulating wildly with her chubby arms.

After another few minutes, Sam turns back to Cas, "You guys know that if you need anything, anything at all, you just have to ask, right? I mean it, anything." He states in a matter-of-fact tone before finishing off his own beer.

Cas looks embarrassed at his kindness, "I know. But do you really think that Dean would come to his little brother for help, even if we needed it? I promise, I'll let you and Jess know if we need anything; I swear."

Sam nods and they settle into a slightly flustered silence, even though by now, they don't really have anything to be embarrassed about; at least not after that one time when Sam had walked in on him and Dean. Through the window, Dean is seen dumping the water out of the pool and wrapping towels around Alice and Johnny before leading them back around to the front of the house. They enter the house noisily, both Alice and Johnny vying for Dean's undying attention.

They tramp into the living room for kisses from Sam and Cas alike, and Cas leads them into the second spare bedroom where they'll share the bunk bed. He helps them dry off and hang up their wet bathing suits before they slip into the clothes they had arrived in.

The rest of the day is spent in a sleepy haze; Jess gets up after some time and reads with Johnny, while Alice grabs Castiel and forces him to do a puzzle with her. Dinner is sandwiches, PB&J for Johnny, grilled cheese for Alice and Sam, BLT for Dean, and surprisingly enough, Jess, who claims that all she wants is bacon; Cas makes tuna salad that everyone snacks on with saltines.

Once the sun goes down and the sky darkens, Sam and Dean get some catching-up done and retire to the back porch together to watch the stars. Cas pops in The Little Mermaid for Johnny and Alice, and they fall asleep twenty minutes in. Jess puts them to bed and joins Castiel in the eating of ice cream before heading into her room to read before going to sleep.

Around ten, Sam and Dean come back inside, both with eyes that are a little red. They hug and go their separate ways to their bedrooms. Cas joins Dean and learns that they had been reminiscing about their dad and Dean about his mother; since Sam had been too young to remember her death. They fall asleep in a tight embrace.

The next morning, Jessica suggests to Cas that they go to the store to get some food for a special dinner, since everyone had been too tired the night before. Sam inflates the pool again as they're leaving, and Jess watches Dean and Sam play with kids in the cold water from the hose.

They park at the library, Jess insisting that the town is so tiny they can just walk around because she wants to get her daily exercise in. The grocery store is almost empty when they arrive, and they get the ingredients needed to make tacos and Jess' famous lemon meringue pie without any trouble. Once they check out – Jess insists on paying – they make their way back to the car.

Jess and Cas walk side-by-side on the sidewalk, each carrying a bag in either hand. They don't speak; just enjoy the sunshine that isn't too hot yet, and each other's company. A woman and girl of about eight, walk towards them on the opposite side of the walk, obviously heading to the grocery store that they just vacated. As she passes Castiel, the woman grabs her daughter's hand and yanks her away, hissing, "Faggot." At him.

He just pauses to let her pass, eyes downcast. Once the woman is out of earshot, Jess whirls around angrily, surprisingly agile at eight months pregnant, to confront him, "Cas! You can't let people talk to you like that. You have as much a right to be here as she does!" when he merely continues walking without answering, she speaks up again.

"Do they always talk to you like that?" Jess asks in a quiet voice.

Cas shrugs, "Not everyone. Just some people, like her. Honestly, Jess, it's fine. I can fight my own battles."

"But that's the thing! You shouldn't _have_ to fight. It's just plain wrong that you have to suffer because of whom you love. It's not like you popped out of the uterus, planning to be gay! It just _happens._" Jess exclaims, stamping her swollen, flip-flop clad foot in outrage.

He shifts one of the grocery bags over to the other hand and wraps his arm around her briefly, "Thank you for saying that. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like that. But that's just life; unfair." Cas murmurs softly. They walk the rest of the way to library parking lot where the Impala is, in silence; this time it's melancholy instead of companionable.

"I was going to look for a few books for Alice and Johnny, that way they aren't bored while we're here. They're both getting good at reading now." Jess announces, neatly stowing the four grocery bags in the trunk of the car.

"Sure," Cas answers, following her inside. He hasn't been in the library on a Monday before; unlike when he's working, it's almost completely empty. A petite, fair skinned girl with black hair that tumbles down her back, perches on a stepstool to stock the very top of one of the tall wooden bookshelves.

The girl turns as they approach, "Oh, hey Castiel. I thought you didn't have to work until tomorrow."

"Hi Meg; I don't. This is my sister-in-law, Jessica. She wanted to look for children books while she's visiting."

"Oh!" Meg says, eyebrows flying up in surprise, "how old are the kids you're browsing for?"

"Three year old twins," Jess smiled, "and another on the way before too long!"

Meg smiles in return and leads Jess off towards the children's section. Cas strolls around, hands in pockets as he browses the library's DVD collection. After ten minutes or so, Meg reappears with Jessica, who is clutching a small stack of books. Meg checks her out on Cas' library card and within another few minutes, Jess and Castiel are in the Impala.

On the car ride back, Jessica pulls a tape out of her purse and slides it in and soon the car is filled with the bittersweet strains of a Bach piece that Cas can't name. She hums along softly, unconsciously rubbing her hands over her pregnant belly in large, comforting circles. Cas isn't sure if she was comforting the baby or herself.

Arriving at the house half an hour later, Cas assists Jess in getting out of the car, and before she can help, gathers up all the groceries. Johnny toddles out the front door and onto the porch to confront them; despite the thumb tucked in his mouth, he actually looks quite stern.

"You said you'd be back before we were done swimming!" Johnny tells her indignantly, stomping his tiny foot in precisely the same manner his mother had earlier.

Jessica laughs, "Sorry, baby. But I'm here now! And I brought you a book on turtles to make up for the inconvenience."

That afternoon, like the one before it, is spent in a quiet, relaxed way. Around five, Cas starts the tacos while Jess makes the meringue pie. They eat outside in the front yard on a picnic blanket, the dusky evening a perfect mixture of warm with a cool breeze. The pie is brought out and promptly devoured.

Bedtime is early, around eight o'clock for the kids, and nine for the adults.

Dean kisses Cas goodnight and murmurs into his hair, "A perfect ending to a perfect day."


	4. Chapter 4

'_There is no better feeling in the world than the one you get when you wake up next to the person you love,' _Castiel thinks when he wakes the next morning, face-to-face with Dean. They smile in unison and Cas brushes his lips over Dean's cheekbones before sitting up. He sits on the edge of the bed, stretching his arms above his head. Two arms snake around his waist and pull him back down. They roll around on the bed, kissing leisurely. After ten minutes, Cas is in the process of removing Dean's completely unnecessary shirt, when a small child tugs on the waistband of his sweatpants.

"Uncle Cas? Mommy said to wake you up for breakfast; but I guess you're already awake." Alice says with an angelic smile, cocking her head of brown ringlets to the side innocently.

Dean jumps about a foot in the air and scrambles out from under Cas, hitting his head against the headboard in the process. He hurries around the bed and throws Alice over his shoulder in a fireman's hold before running off towards the kitchen, tickling her as he goes. Castiel just laughs and goes into the bathroom to tame his 'we-almost-had-morning-sex' hair.

He pads barefoot into the kitchen, where Jess stands over the stove, stirring something in a huge pot. She looks up when he enters, and grins delightedly, "Didn't realize you and Dean were in the middle of something; I wouldn't have sent Alice to get you. Next time I'll get you; that way you don't scar my children for seeing you two going at it."

Castiel laughs and sidesteps her to retrieve the jug of homemade orange juice from the fridge. "You want a glass?" He asks, indicating the juice. Jess nods, and accepts the glass. She fumbles around in her purse and pulls out a giant bottle of prenatal vitamins before swallowing one down with the aid of the drink.

Cas shakes his head in disbelief, "I am so glad I'll never have to take horse pills like that. I can't even take Sudafed without choking; and those pills are the size of a grain of rice."

Jess just laughs and says with a smile, "They aren't that bad; Sam had to give me the Heimlich the first time I took one, because it went down sideways. But after a while, you just get used to them." she stirs the pot of sausage gravy absentmindedly right as a timer goes off, signaling the end of the biscuits baking an oven mitt, Cas dives past her and pulls out the perfectly golden biscuits.

Jess flips the switch to turn off the oven and stands up on tiptoe to grab a stack of plates from the cupboard. She whirls around, surprisingly nimble at eight months pregnant, and begins to pry the biscuits off the stoneware baking pan. Without stopping to let them cool, Jess splits open the flaky little treats and ladles sausage gravy over them.

She makes up three plates before noticing Castiel's stunned gaze. "What?" Jess asks, continuing to dish up food. He just stares at her, mouth hanging open.

"How do you do all that? Especially when you're pregnant!" She giggles and winks mysteriously.

"If you have kids, you'll be able to do this too. "

Castiel shakes his head in disbelief and begins setting the table with forks and butter knives. He pours glasses of juice for everyone but Dean, whom he gives coffee. Cas fixes mugs of tea for Sam and himself. He remembers exactly how Sam takes it; a dash of cream and a spoonful of sugar, until it's milky and sweet. Jess hands him plates and he sets them out around the table before setting down a bowl of freshly chopped fruit.

Dean joins them in the kitchen with Johnny trailing behind him, thumb tucked in his mouth. Soon after, Sam appears with Alice on his back and sits down at the table. They eat in silence that is punctuated only by Alice and Johnny giggling quietly together over God-knows-what. Everyone eats leisurely, taking their time and going back for seconds.

Jess makes Sam and Dean wash the dishes even though they own a dishwasher; she says it's their punishment for not helping cook. They both insist, quite loudly I should add, that she threw them out of the kitchen, and that they would have been happy to help if she had allowed them to. Nonetheless, they stand there, side-by-side and wash the dishes. Castiel watches them, smiling at their easy sibling banter.

After the dishes are done, Dean sits down at the kitchen table with Alice and colors horses with her for a while, saying, "Ya know, I like to do the ears. Coloring the ears is my favorite part." Alice enthusiastically agrees that the ears are her favorite part too. They make sure to color the ears together; that way they both get a chance. Cas pulls out the ingredients for peanut butter cookies and Johnny comes over and watches him.

"You want to help, Johnny?" he asks, and the little boy nods enthusiastically. Castiel grabs a stepstool for him and shows him how to measure all of his ingredients. Rather than using the mixer, they hand stir everything together. Jess and Sam curl up in the guest room and watch a movie, enjoying some much needed alone time. While they endlessly adore the twins, having two kids around all the time can get pretty exhausting.

Once the cookies are in the oven, Johnny makes Cas sit down with him and do a puzzle that's in the shape of a turtle. They finish the puzzle just in time to take out the cookies. Johnny wants to eat them right away, but Castiel manages to convince him that they should for the cookies to cool off some. They put a dozen cookies on a plate and set it on the table, along with a pitcher of milk and some glasses.

Dean digs in, claiming that he's hungry already, even after eating breakfast two hours earlier. Cas takes a plate of cookies to Sam and Jess, only to find them curled around each other, fast asleep, while the credits of _Roman Holiday _roll across the screen of the TV. He leaves the plate on their bedside table and creeps out silently.

* * *

Around one, he puts Alice to bed for a nap, and after half an hour, makes Johnny lie down too. Dean flops down onto the couch in the living room, and within two minutes, is fast asleep with his head of ash blonde in Cas' lap. He sits cross-legged, gently running his fingers through Dean's hair, and humming absentmindedly to himself. After a while, Sam emerges from his bedroom, yawning.

"Hey, Cas," he says with a smile, sitting down in the armchair next to the couch as he munches on a cookie.

"Have a nice nap?" Cas asks, continuing to pet Dean's head.

Sam grins sheepishly, "Yeah, - he yawns once more – being a dad is more tiring than I thought it would be. But I would never give it up; having kids is one of the best things in the world."

Castiel smiles wistfully at the thought of being able to have children. That is the one thing that he envies Sam for. Technically, they could adopt, but he feels like Dean would prefer to have biological children. It's just in his nature to want the children to be his flesh and blood. As he thinks, he extracts himself from Dean's sleeping grasp, and heads over to sit at the kitchen table, where Sam joins him.

Sam winces, "Shit, Cas, I didn't mean it like that. I know you and Dean want kids."

"Sam, you have nothing to apologize for. Just because we can't have children together, doesn't mean that anyone else shouldn't. We've talked about adopting; but I think Dean would personally prefer surrogacy." Cas tells him; twisting his hands together in a knot.

"I think so, yeah. It'd be cool if you guys could have kids. I know Johnny and Alice would love to have little cousins. They get bored with just each other sometimes." Sam says, eating a second cookie.

"I love kids," Cas murmurs with a soft smile, "maybe I'll talk to Dean some more about surrogacy or adoption; whichever he would prefer. We've been married for three years now. I know we both want kids, so we should really look into all of the possibilities." Sam listens intently, nodding slowly as Castiel talks.

"I forgot that it's already been three years," he smiles, "it feels like just yesterday I had to calm Dean down; he was so flustered."

A sappy smile crosses Castiel's lips at the memories of Dean waiting for him at the end of the aisle. It had been a beautiful wedding; a spring day in Alberta, Canada. Jess had helped plan it; it was her idea to have the wedding party all wear a beautiful shade of olive green that matched Dean's eyes perfectly. He remembers the taste of the cake; a rich, dark chocolate bourbon cake with bourbon and cherry butter cream frosting.

He and Sam continue to talk for about an hour, until Dean wakes up again. Once Jess and the kids are up, they make sandwiches and lemonade and have an early dinner in the backyard, under a cluster of tall trees.

* * *

Later that night, Cas finds himself perusing the refrigerator case of milk at the gas station fifteen minutes from their house. Jess had discovered that they were out of milk; thwarting her plans to make pancakes in the morning. He had volunteered so that she could stay off her sore, swollen feet, and so that Dean and Sam could finish their board game with Alice and Johnny.

He hesitates momentarily in front of the case and finally chooses a gallon of fat-free organic milk. Castiel grabs a bag of beef jerky for Dean and a package of Twizzler's for himself. He pays the cashier and stuffs his wallet unceremoniously into his back pocket.

He pulls out his cell phone and dials Jessica's number. When she answers on the first ring, he says, "Okay, I got the milk. I should be back soon. Is there anything else you needed for the pancakes?"

"Thank you!" Jess coos, "I think I have everything. You guys still have eggs, so we should be good. I guess I'll see you soon." Cas says goodbye and hangs up, smiling to himself.

It's such a nice night that he had walked instead of taking the Impala or the Prius, like Sam and Dean had suggested. But the walking helps clear his mind; and Louisiana is nice at night, at a temperature of around mid-sixties. Castiel strolls along down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets. He suddenly realizes that footsteps can be heard behind him. He speeds up slightly, trying to keep calm. _'Chances are, you're overreacting, Castiel. Just keep walking.'_ he tells himself.

"Hey! Are you that guy who moved into the old Miller place a while back?" A voice from behind him calls out suddenly.

Cas turns to face the man, a tall blonde with a friendly smile on his tanned face, and answers, "Yes. I moved in a few months ago. Can I help you with something? I actually have to get back soon."

The guy shrugs and looks at his two friends, "Oh, okay. We just wanted to welcome you to Vinton. I don't think we've met before; I'm Vince, and these are Chris and Anderson." he says, indicating his buddies with a jerk of his thumb. He extends his hand towards Cas.

"I'm Castiel," he says – _'see Castiel, you had nothing to worry about,' –_ "Perhaps you've met Dean, my partner."

Vince scratches his head, "Dean… Winchester? The one who works at Singer's Auto?"

"That's the one. I don't know if he's mentioned you all before."

"Ah, well, we're not close acquaintances. He fixed up Chris' car the other week; actually got the piece of shit to run again."

Cas nods, feigning interest, "I should really be going now. I have to get this milk to my sister-in-law." he lifts the gallon jug in example.

"Yeah, sure, man. No problem."

Castiel continues on his merry way, absentmindedly humming one of the classic rock songs Dean always listens to. He thinks it's probably Metallica; or maybe Def Leppard. Actually, for all he knows, it could be anyone. Cas hears footsteps again; he turns his head ever so slightly and sees that it's just Vince and the other two guys. Still, he quickens his pace nevertheless.

He thinks he hears a muffled, "It's now or never," but he can't tell who said it. He's sure it's nothing to worry about, but he reaches inside his pocket anyway and clutches his phone. That's when Vince jumps on him. As he falls to the sidewalk, he presses the speed dial for Dean; #2. Someone is hauling him to his feet now and he's being forced to stand. Cas can almost get air into his lungs again when a fist sinks itself heavily in his stomach.

A grunt of pain leaves his lips and he drops the gallon of milk. It bursts on contact with the ground and spills out, running haphazardly over the black of the asphalt. Vince and one of the others continues their relentless assault; punching, kicking. After ten minutes of this treatment, he looks up, unable to get air into his lungs, and is right in time to see a fist hurtling towards his face. And everything goes black.


	5. Chapter 5

He wakes from a dreamless sleep, to the steady beeping of machinery. Castiel tries to open his eyes, but they are crusted over with gunk. He lifts his left hand and rubs at his eyes until he can open them. He appears to be lying in a hospital bed. Cas shakes his head once or twice in an attempt, to no avail, to clear it.

"Oh, thank God. You're awake!" a frantic voice fills his ears. Dean stares down at him, dark bags under his weary green eyes and worry lines evident on every part of his face.

Cas clears his throat before croaking out, "Where am I?" Dean strokes his mussed black hair back from his forehead for a few minutes and finally answers.

"You're in the hospital, baby," he whispers, "you were hurt real bad."

Castiel's eyebrows draw together and a slight frown graces his lips, "It was… There was a man; someone…Someone with a 'V', right?"

"Yeah, baby. Vince; a coupla' guys were there too; Chris, and some other guy too." Dean says, tracing a finger lightly over the curve of Cas' jaw; it is rough with two days worth of coarse dark stubble.

"How long have I been here?" he asks, glancing around at his surroundings.

"Since last night; you called me; I don't know if it was on purpose. I-I could hear you. Crying. I got in the Impala and went to find you. Someone, a girl at the gas station, saw you and called the cops and an ambulance. They were putting you in the ambulance when I got there. Said you were being held back by Chris and the other dude while Vince beat the shit outta you. He didn't even stop when you were unconscious."

During this explanation, Dean has to pause every now and again to wipe away tears and clear his throat. Castiel tries to reach out and touch his face but is stopped by a cast encasing his wrist. A look of surprise crosses his face, "Did…did Vince do this?"

Dean nods, "The doc says the end of your radius was fractured; you're hurt pretty bad, Cas."

He processes this information before pressing on, "Where else am I injured?"

Dean won't meet his eyes, "Fractured wrist and collarbone, Doc taped one of your toes; said it was broken; probably from Vince stepping on them."  
Castiel nods once more, "And I bet I'm pretty bruised up, aren't I?" he asks, with a ruthful smile that doesn't quite meet his blue eyes. That's when Dean collapses into broken sobs and drops his head onto Cas' stomach, his fingers clutching at his hipbones. Startled, Cas places his hand on his head and strokes through his hair gently. Dean mumbles inarticulately, his words muffled by the blankets draped over Castiel's body.

After listening hard, Cas finally makes out the words, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry…" repeated over and over. He immediately makes Dean sit up, sticking his good hand under his chin and forcing his head up.

"Look at me," Dean refuses to meet his eyes, "Dean, look at me." when Dean finally complies, his face tear-stained, Castiel continues.

"You did not do this to me. You are not responsible for these injuries. It is not your fault. Three cruel men did this; you had nothing to do with it," Cas states firmly, looking straight into Dean's green eyes, "there was nothing you could have done except what you did. I will be perfectly okay. People heal, Dean."

Dean nods once, dropping his gaze to the bedspread. That's when a small, rotund African-American walks in, holding a clipboard under her arm.

"Hi there, sugar. I'm Missouri; I'm just going to check your vitals for the doctor and give you a hit of meds." she says; her smile is kind and friendly and her eyes crinkle at the corners.

Dean scoots his chair back from the bed so Missouri can reach Castiel's arm and hurriedly wipes away the remnants of his tears. He contemplates leaving, since he's probably just upsetting Cas, but before he can say anything, Missouri whirls around to face him.

"Don't you think about going anywhere, young man, or so help me God, I will beat you with this stethoscope!" she bursts out, hand perched on one hip as she gestures at his face with the aforementioned stethoscope. Dean leans back slightly; it's a little to close to his face for comfort. He puts his hands up in defeat.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Satisfied, she turns back around and takes Castiel's temperature. She rattles off his BP and temperature as she scrawls them down on her clipboard. Missouri straightens up and says to Cas, "Alright, I gave you a hit. It'll probably make you sleepy, so don't try to do anything too strenuous. I'll be back at noon with your lunch." Cas smiles gratefully at her, sinking back against the pillows with a sigh.  
Dean pushes his chair back up to the bed and takes Cas' hand. "Will you stay until I fall asleep?" Castiel murmurs quietly, his eyes already drooping as the pain meds flood through his body, soothing his pains and calming his mind.

"Sure, baby," Dean whispers, his eyes soft. Cas holds his hand until he's completely asleep and then his fingers go limp and his hold slackens. Dean stands up, gently pulling away and leans over to brush a kiss over Castiel's forehead.

"Sleep well," he murmurs, leaving the room.

Dean comes back later, paper cup of coffee in one hand. True to her word, Missouri brings a tray of food for Cas and wakes him for lunch. For the rest of the day, Dean keeps him occupied with a deck of cards and the TV mounted in the corner of the room. He spends the night in the hospital, slouched in one chair, and with another propped up under his feet.

* * *

The first time Jess sees him after his accident, she bursts into tears. Naturally, he's quite alarmed; he's only just woken up and he doesn't know where Dean is; not to mention, it's only ten o'clock in the morning. Jess cries so hard that Missouri, his nurse, takes her out into the hallway. Through the window, Cas can see Jess enveloped in Missouri's plump arms.

"How ya doing, buddy?" Sam asks, sitting down in the chair usually occupied by Dean. As soon as the words leave his mouth, he winces, "Shit, I meant… I don't know. Just, are you going to be okay?"

Castiel laughs quietly, "It's fine, Sam. I'll be okay. The doctor wants to keep me for one more night; he's fairly certain I don't have a concussion, but this way he can monitor me for a little while longer,"

Sam nods and hesitates before patting Cas' good hand with his own giant one, "I'll go see if Jess is ready it come in," he says, standing up. He leaves for a few minutes but soon comes back with an arm around Jess, whose eyes are red-rimmed and swollen.

"I'm going to get some coffee and try to convince Dean to go home and get some sleep." Sam tells him. He kisses Jess on the cheek, and using one thumb, wipes away the tear lingering on one of her long brown lashes, "feel better, Castiel."

"Hi, Cas." Jess says tremulously, cradling his hand in both of hers.

He smiles sleepily, ignoring the slight pain in his cheeks as he does so, "Hi, Jess. Sorry I never did get that milk to you."

This sets Jess off again and she sits there, her silent tears plopping desolately onto their combined fingers, "Come on, Jess. It's okay; I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I know, I know. I'm fine. Stupid hormones… God, I'm being absolutely ridiculous." Jess whispers, wiping away her tears and putting on a brave face before flashing him a watery smile. They chat lightly and Cas inquires after the kids; surely since both Sam and Jess are at the hospital, someone has come to the house to look after them.

Apparently, Dean's boss, Bobby Singer, knows a girl who works at the local bar, the Roadhouse. Dean knows her mother, Ellen, and when Bobby inquired after a baby sitter at Dean's request, she had sent over her 23 year old daughter, Jo. Being relatively young and fun, the kids had hit it off with her right away. Jess had left them watching Beauty and the Beast and finger-painting with Jo. In the middle of their talk, Dean comes in. He leans down to kiss Castiel and informs him of his plans to return home for a few hours of sleep.

"Just stay there for the nigh, Dean. I'll be perfectly alright; you don't need to come back until tomorrow morning when they release me," Cas reassures him. After a few minutes of coaxing and two more kisses, Dean finally agrees to pick him up in the morning.

Once Dean leaves, Jess heaves herself out of her chair and steps back to allow Missouri to check Cas' vitals, "Heart rate normal, a little slower than most; BP of 113 over 87. Still feeling a little dizzy?" Missouri asks as she fiddles with his IV, doing something that Jess can't see. Castiel shakes his head and winces slightly at the movement.

Missouri scrutinizes him before saying, "I'll up your dosage just a teensy bit. If you need anything, anything at all; just press the button. Stop being so damn stubborn," she sounds, for all the world, like his mother. Jess just laughs at the face Cas makes in response to his nurse's little rant.

"Missouri, I'm leaving tomorrow; I can't get too dependent on pain meds." Cas protests.

"Boy!" Missouri exclaims, hands on hips, "do you think we're sending you home without some pills? I am not stupid! Now, lie back down and be quiet. Keep talking to this nice girl."

Once Missouri is out of earshot, Jess sits back down and leans forwards to giggle quietly in his ear, "I could just about see her snapping her fingers in a Z-formation." They have a good laugh after that, but Jess doesn't stay much longer.  
"I'm sorry, really, it's just I've got to have a nap. Carrying another person around in your stomach makes you tired." Jess apologizes non-stop, even as she backs out of the room.

Cas just laughs and waves her off, reaching for the book that Dean had left by his bed as he does so, "Go! Sleep, play with Johnny and Alice. I'll be fine." he smiles at her reassuringly. He cracks open the book and begins to read; he is immediately sucked into the world of Amory Blaise. After about twenty minutes of reading, Castiel tucks a bookmark in and sets the book aside. He closes his eyes and is soon lost to the realm of sleep once more.


End file.
